I went back and forth over what type of cookie to share for the month of October. Do I share a cookie that can pass as a Thanksgiving dessert? A Christmas cookie? A cookie that has no holiday affiliation whatsoever? I was thinking way too hard about this. With only two months until Christmas, I thought what the heck, why not share a cookie recipe that’s a favorite around the holidays? A cookie that’s a great addition to a cookie tin to give as a gift throughout the holidays.

Meringue cookies have a bad reputation. If you make them on a rainy or particularly humid day, you’ll be regretting it. Nevertheless, meringue cookies are delicious, especially when made on a perfect day. These peppermint white chocolate chip meringues are a staple in my house around the holidays for obvious reasons, the first being its not the holidays without homemade peppermint flavored confections.

These meringue cookies are a must-have for any cookie tin or cookie tray. They hold amazingly well for several days, which is a necessity for holiday cookies. Generally speaking, I have three rules I follow every year when creating holiday cookie tins:

1. Variety: Usually, I make six or seven different cookies to include in my holiday cookie tins. When I first started putting together festive cookie tins to give as gifts, I just included whatever cookies I felt like making, not really taking the varieties of cookies into consideration. 

2. Texture: Including cookies with different textures makes a lasting impression. If all six or seven cookies are all soft and chewy, nothing really stands out. By making cookies consisting off different textures, each cookie is decidedly different. Just keep in mind that some households may have a family member with a nut allergy, so plan accordingly. 

3. Tradition: Stick with the classic, traditional cookie recipes everyone knows and loves around the holidays. If you have a fantastic gingerbread (or spice) cookie recipe, include it! 

When I was a kid, I can remember the struggle it was to find quality cookie tins leading up to the holidays. My great grandmother started hoarding them after the holidays when stores seemed to have an abundance of them available. Throughout the year, she would store freshly baked cookies in holiday-themed tins in the freezer, which is something I have since continued doing. For about $25, you can buy a set of six. 

Until recently, I included two showstoppers in each cookie tin, which made me a very cranky human. Now, I take the simple but elegant approach and only include one difficult, but show stopping cookie into each tin: Hausfreunde. The rest of the cookies I make every year for cookie tins take a fraction of the time to make: Snickerdoodles, Apricot Walnut Shortbread Cookies, and Turtle Cookie Bars. These peppermint white chocolate meringue cookies also come together incredibly quickly—I usually make them right before I head off to bed, to allow them to cool in the oven overnight so they don’t crack too much.

I am of the opinion that it’s perfectly acceptable to also include brownies, biscotti, and even homemade candy in holiday cookie tins. Dark chocolate peppermint brownies are always highly requested throughout the holidays, and a bottle of wine is almost always appreciated.